The $81.5 million Italian Village project in Daphne passed its last stepping stone to becoming a reality.

On Monday, June 15, Daphne City Council approved a resolution annexing a property to become part of the project located on the northwest corner of Alabama State Route 181 and Baldwin County 64, which is being developed by Charles Trotman Sr., who is representing Joseph A. Allegri Jr. Properties II LLC, Jerry Volovecky Sr., Louise Volovecky and SE Family Partnership.

The resolution approved was essentially the final step in the Italian Village project moving forward in Daphne, which will see the construction of a 32-acre mixed-use development that includes a Walmart Neighborhood Market, a luxury apartment complex and eight commercial parcels with a 5-acre public-access pond for walking and recreation.

The deal also includes a $2.5 million tax incentive, with sales tax revenues generated from the neighborhood market and paid back to the company. A maximum of about $850,000 will be paid back to the company annually for a period of four years.

During the planning phase of the project, Daphne officials negotiated hard with the developer, reducing the number of units for the apartment complex to 200 and Trotman Sr. agreeing to pay for traffic and roundabout improvements along County Road 64 and County Road 13, which includes a right-turn lane on eastbound CR 64 onto southbound State Road 181, as well as improvements to the roundabout at CR 64 and CR 13.

"We worked really hard with a lot of the improvements on traffic, the improvements of the look of not only the Walmart but the apartments, really added that Italian style to it and then cut down the density on it," Daphne Mayor Robin LeJeune told GCM. "There's a lot of good things about the project, so we're all excited about finally getting all of these things done and moving forward."

Only one person spoke during the public comment period of the meeting, voicing support for the project while commending council for their efforts during the planning phase.

No timeline for construction was provided, but LeJeune told GCM the city will continue to meet with the developers and will have a better understanding of the plans within the coming weeks.